Stealing Cinderella
by LoveMeSomeJAM
Summary: Oneshot JAM story based on the song "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks


A/N: This is my first fanfic that I've ever actually let anybody read so please be gentle. :) This is a oneshot inspired by the song "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks. I stuck with a oneshot for my first story just in case it's terrible. Please read & review. Constructive criticism is appreciated. If my writing sucks I might not be so inspired to write another. LoL! Thanks!

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**It was early on a rainy Friday morning and Jim had been driving for over two hours through a downpour. **

"**This is definitely not a good sign," he mumbled to himself, finally pulling into the parking lot of his destination: Kenneth B's Photography Studio. **

"**Why am I so nervous? I can sell anything to anybody. I can get along with anyone…even Dwight. I can do this." Jim repeated this to himself few times before taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.**

**Jim finally climbed out of his Corolla and ran the short distance to the door. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to keep from being completely drenched in rain. As he bolted through the front door of the building, his new shoes hit the slick tile floor, causing him to slip, stumble, and nearly knock over the coat rack as he tried to keep his balance. Once he finally regained his footing, Jim stood up straight and smoothed out the wrinkles in his jacket, taking yet another deep sigh. "Strike two," he said under his breath.**

"**Can I help you sir?" Jim heard a female voice ask him. Looking up, he saw a petite, auburn-haired woman sitting at the receptionist desk, giving him a quizzical stare. **

**Smiling at the thought of his own red-haired receptionist who was back at the office, he slowly edged up to the counter. **

"**Yes, I'm Jim Halpert. I have a meeting with Ken at 11:00."**

"**Ah, yes, Mr. Halpert. Ken is actually running a little behind this morning but he said for you to wait in his office and he'll be with you as soon as possible."**

"**Thanks." Jim gave the receptionist as confident of a smile as he could muster and turned in the direction of the manager's office. As he wandered the hallways of the photography studio, Jim studied the photos hanging on the walls. Most of them were of families, dressed in like colors and beaming with large smiles. Some were black and whites of tiny babies, snuggled in the arms of their parents. A few others looked like high-school senior pictures. A couple random photos of pets and landscapes also dotted the hallway, offsetting the many smiling faces on the wall. At the very end of the hall was a picture that caught Jim's eye. It was a beautiful portrait of a young girl who looked to be about five or six. Her long curly hair was swept back away from her face with the exception of a couple small ringlets that had escaped the barrette. She was looking down at a baby girl that she held in her arms, all swaddled up in a light pink blanket. Both little girls had adorable smiles on their faces, causing a smile to creep onto Jim's face as well. Tearing his eyes from the portrait labeled "P.J. and Lydia - Sisterly Love", Jim finally slipped into Ken's office.**

**The first thing Jim noticed when he walked into the office was the dozens of framed snapshots that sat around the room. They lined the bookshelves, the desk, the filing cabinets, and any other unoccupied flat surface. He wasn't really surprised. After all, he was in the office of the owner of a photography studio. Jim took a seat in front of the owner's desk and pulled a file folder from his bag to busy himself while he waited. After about ten minutes of staring at the folder, Jim realized he hadn't read a single word on the page. Slamming the folder shut, Jim ran his hand nervously over his face, wishing this could all be over with so he could go home and see Pam. **

**The past few months with her had been amazing. Jim had spent so many years waiting for things to finally work out with Pam that he had almost given up. When he had left for Stamford, Jim was determined to move on with his life and force himself to be happy. He wanted to prove to himself that he didn't need Pam. That he could have a good life, even if she wasn't in it. Ultimately, he had proven himself incredibly wrong. Even though he had Karen, who was an awesome girlfriend, it still wasn't what he really wanted. He had tried to love Karen. He really had. Unfortunately, another woman had decided to take up residence in his heart and refused to move out. In the end, Jim was eternally grateful for that. Because now, he and Pam had finally made it. They were happy and in love. The day Jim heard her say "I love you" for the first time, he had nearly fainted from happiness. **

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"_**Halpert, you're such a woman sometimes," Pam had teased him.**_

"_**Really? Well, how about I show you just how manly I can be?" Jim replied, sweeping Pam up into his arms and kissing her breathless as he carried her off to the bedroom.**_

_**Afterward, Pam had turned on her side and looked him lovingly in the eyes. "I take back what I said earlier. You are definitely all man," she said, smiling back at him before bringing their lips together for another passionate kiss.**_

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**Smiling at the many memories they had shared over the course of their relationship, Jim stood up and stretched his long limbs. After driving for two hours, he decided the last thing he really wanted to do was sit around any more than he had to. Jim aimlessly wandered over to the bookcase and began gazing at the pictures that adorned the shelves. Almost all of them showcased the same two little girls that had been in the picture in the hallway: Ken's two daughters. Several of them were yearbook pictures and graduation photos. But most of them seemed to be snapshots from the girls' growing up years. **

**The first one he came to was a picture of the girls dressed up on Halloween. The oldest was dressed as Cinderella and the youngest was Ariel from The Little Mermaid. They had their arms wrapped around each other and candy bags, nearly the size of the girls themselves, hanging from their wrists. **

**Another picture showed the girl dressed in swimsuits, playing in a kiddie pool. The oldest had a cherry red Popsicle in her hand but most of it had ended up on her face, giving her a clown-like grin. **

**Jim finally spotted a picture of Ken's wife, Laura, and lifted it off the shelf for a better look. In this shot, Laura was holding on to the back of a bicycle while the older girl, all dressed in a helmet and protective pads, pedaled away. **

**Jim couldn't keep a laugh from escaping when he spotted another photo of Laura along with their daughters and a couple of other little girls at what looked like a slumber party. They were all dressed in pajamas and pigtails. A couple of the girls were standing up on the bed while the rest of them engaged in a serious pillow fight. **

**The final picture frame to catch Jim's eye was a double frame with a picture of Ken and each of the girls on either side. In both shots, Ken had one of his daughters, in what looked to be their Easter dresses, standing on his feet as they danced around their large living room. The look of love on all of their faces warmed Jim's heart. He longed for the day when he would have a little girl of his own to dance with. A beaming smile crept to his face as he remembered the reason he was here today. Jim was so focused on the photographs that he never heard the office door open and close behind him. **

"**She sure is something isn't she Halpert?" **

**Jim jumped, startled by the new voice in the room, and nearly dropped the picture he held in his hand. He turned to see Ken, the owner of the photo studio, standing behind him. Finally coming to his senses, he set the frame back on the shelf. **

"**Yes sir, she sure is." Jim smiled as he reached out and shook the man's hand.**

"**So, what brings you here, two hours from home, in the middle of a downpour, to a family portrait studio? Ken asked him, reaching to one of the higher shelves to pull down a picture of himself and his oldest daughter at a family member's wedding. "Or, do I really need to ask?"**

**Jim noticed Ken raising his eyebrows at him as he finished that last question. Slowly, he leaned over and studied the photo in Ken's hand. There, staring back at him, was the smiling face of the woman he loved more than life itself…Pamela Jane Beesly. **

"**You know I love my daughter more than anything, right Jim?" Ken Beesly asked him seriously.**

"**Yes sir I do. And I want you to know that I love your daughter with all my heart and I would never, ever do anything to hurt her. She's my…everything," Jim answered, not able to come up with a word good enough to describe just how much he loved Pam. **

"**I know son, I know," he said, clapping Jim on the back. "It's just that…even though she's grown up and on her own, she's still my Princess Pam. She's still that little girl that danced on my feet at every Easter dinner and ran crying to me and her mother with every broken heart and scraped knee."**

"**I know that sir. And believe me, I am so glad that she has such a supportive family behind her." Jim stood in silence trying to summon his courage. "So, to answer your first question, the reason I'm here is that…I was kind of hoping maybe I could be a part of that family. I love Pam. I've loved her for years. So, what I'm trying to say is…." Jim trailed off as his confidence began to wane.**

"**Yes Jim?" Ken prodded him on.**

"**Mr. Beesly, would it be alright with you if I asked your daughter to marry me?"**

**The silence that filled the room was almost painful. Jim stared straight ahead, afraid to even venture a glance at the man he hoped to be his father-in-law someday. **

"**Jim," Ken finally spoke up.**

**Jim looked over to catch the smile on Ken's face. **

**Ken continued on, picking up the Halloween picture. "Pam has always been my little Cinderella. She's always been a dreamer but she was a little too nervous to take that first step without a lot of prodding. I was always trying to play her Prince Charming, encouraging her on and helping her up when she fell. However, a few years ago, I began to notice she wasn't calling home as much when she had problems. When she did call home, suddenly this man named Jim kept creeping into our conversations. She was always telling us about how this guy had saved the day when nothing seemed to be going her way. And how he was encouraging her to do all these things that she never thought she could do. It was then I realized that I was losing my little Cinderella to a new Prince Charming. Even when she was still with Roy, her mother and I knew that you were going to be a big part of her life. You have no idea how much I wanted to hate you when Pam first introduced us. I didn't want to think that someone else had become the love of my little girl's life. Unfortunately for me, you turned out to be a pretty decent guy."**

"**Thanks. I think…" Jim answered, feeling a little unsure of himself. **

**Ken offered a comforting laugh. "Well, I guess if I had to lose my little girl to somebody, I'm glad it's you. At least you asked my permission unlike a certain ex-fiancée I know."**

**Jim recoiled a bit at the subtle mention of Roy but at least he seemed to rank above that scum with Pam's family. "So, can I take that as a yes?"**

"**Well Jim, I have two things to say to you. Number one, welcome to the family!" Ken reached over and gave Jim a quick hug, clapping him on the back.**

"**And number two?" Jim asked with a smile.**

"**Number two is most important. You break my little girl's heart and I _will_break every bone in your body."**

**Jim's eyes widened with surprise. "You have nothing to worry about sir. I promise to spend the rest of my life taking care of your little Cinderella…and any others that may come along someday."**

"**Whoa there Halpert! One thing at a time! Now how about we go grab some lunch so I can get to know my future son-in-law a little better."**

"**Sounds like a plan!" Jim picked up his bag and followed Ken out of the office, glancing over his shoulder at the picture of the girls that hung in the hallway. "Someday can't come soon enough."**


End file.
